I tend to use either/or due to the bell placement when riding drop bar. I ended up mounting the bell on the stem. Usually when I want to ring it I'm slowing anyway and therefore more likely to be in the sit up position and its not too hard to get. When it's time for braking its too late for bell ringing anyway.

Method approaching pedestrians requiring bell: sit up/move hand and slow, attempt to ring bell twice (sometimes misfires), cover the brakes, use voice if required, use controls to avoid incident, then get back down and ride off into the next situation.

bychosis (bahy-koh-sis): A mental disorder of delusions indicating impaired contact with a reality of no bicycles.

twizzle wrote:On a drop bar roadie, where would you suggest placing the bell so that I can ring a bell while still being able to reach the brake?

Anywhere you wish to. Surely you can move your hands. If you have problems doing so then consider getting flat bars or some other bars that suit your abilities.

(I'm not advocating the need for bells. But the logic of "I have drop-bars therefore I can't use a bell" seems a little bizarre.)

I knew someone would say that - and I was almost going to say it in a sarcastic manner. This last comment "If you have problems doing so then consider getting flat bars or some other bars that suit your abilities." just seems particularly like flame-bait, or deliberately provocative and rude. I'm sure Twizzle is particularly skilled at riding a bike.

Anyhow, wasn't this a thread about dumb cyclists and pedestrians, rather than bells and braking methods? The OP has requested that in quite big and bold terms.

fatdudeonabike wrote:That is beyond crazy. We can move our hands to change gears, to brake, to grab bottles from underneath us, but ringing a bell which should be right next to your thumb is that much more difficult?

On a drop bar roadie, where would you suggest placing the bell so that I can ring a bell while still being able to reach the brake?

On the bars just below the levers. Have done it on all three of my bikes that have dropbars. Works fine for me. I am still able to use the drops okay, however I am not on the drops when riding on shared paths where pedestrians are about or likely to be about. In such circumstances I am on the hoods and my hands are in a position to allow me to brake and where appropriate ring my bell with minimal movement of my hand. In an emergency situation my focus is on braking etc not ringing my bell so I don't try to use both at the same time.

malnar wrote:A couple of months ago I dinged a female jogger who moved left and as I passed she said ‘you could at least thank me’. When I ding, my intent is to let them know I’m there what they do is up to them so I don’t see why a thanks is necessary. Despite that, I thought about what she said and have started waving a thanks to those that make a real effort to move. I’ve found it feels good to do that and I hope the goodwill is received.

I try always to thank people - pedestrians, motorists, other cyclists - who adjust their behaviour to accommodate my cycling. Apart from the courtesy element, I can't think of anything more likely to ensure that they keep doing it.

THIS!!!!!!!

The good ones get a "Thanks!", a smile and wave, the meh ones get not much more than a muttered "ta" and the bad ones get anything from a blown kiss via an eyroll and head tap to a full blown Hellenic gesture of contempt. As always, option three varies widely according to incident and prevailing mood.

If you go full Hellenic gesture of contempt then you won't be holding the handlebars.

human909 wrote:[quote="twizzle"]On a drop bar roadie, where would you suggest placing the bell so that I can ring a bell while still being able to reach the brake?[/quote]Anywhere you wish to. Surely you can move your hands. If you have problems doing so then consider getting flat bars or some other bars that suit your abilities.

(I'm not advocating the need for bells. But the logic of "I have drop-bars therefore I can't use a bell" seems a little bizarre.)[/quote]

I knew someone would say that - and I was almost going to say it in a sarcastic manner. This last comment "If you have problems doing so then consider getting flat bars or some other bars that suit your abilities." just seems particularly like flame-bait, or deliberately provocative and rude. I'm sure Twizzle is particularly skilled at riding a bike.

Anyhow, wasn't this a thread about dumb cyclists and pedestrians, rather than bells and braking methods? The OP has requested that in quite big and bold terms.[/quote][/quote][/quote]

Hi g-boaf,I am glad you didn't get sarcastic, I reckon human909 was responding to the OP's own question so couldn't really have been of topic.... I am sure it was a light hearted comment to a very good rider who will appreciate the humour. I sure did.

Mulger bill wrote:Late edit. Dunno about you H, but quite often the times I need an audible warning device are also the times it's a good idea to be covering the brakes, if not actually hauling hard on the levers because once again some iPed has chosen to blindly make a busy road part of their meanderings. I'll stick with the Acme Siren clenched ready between me teeth in the likely spots.

I can't fault the effectiveness of a Acme Siren.

In my experience audible warning are best use a LONG time before the potential conflict. ie; 50m beforehand. In my experience in a true emergency whether it be a car or a bike the best bet is to concentrate of braking and avoiding rather than using the horn or bell. Though I've been in the car when some people's first reaction is the horn rather than the brake! The only time that I remember issuing an emergency warning was along the Swanston st bike path and it stop the pedestrian in his/her tracks.

outnabike wrote:Hi g-boaf,I am glad you didn't get sarcastic, I reckon human909 was responding to the OP's own question so couldn't really have been of topic.... I am sure it was a light hearted comment to a very good rider who will appreciate the humour. I sure did.

No, that's h909 being his typical self. As far as I can tell, he only rides at pedestrian speeds therefore braking is always optional and he has lots of time between using a bell and having to move to the brakes.

fatdudeonabike wrote:That is beyond crazy. We can move our hands to change gears, to brake, to grab bottles from underneath us, but ringing a bell which should be right next to your thumb is that much more difficult?

On a drop bar roadie, where would you suggest placing the bell so that I can ring a bell while still being able to reach the brake?

Sent from my iThingy...

Same place on both bikes, upside down with the little pinging thing pointing at an angle. I can flick the bell with my hands on the bars. I am usually riding on the hoods, so briefly moving one hand to the flats is not an issue. I have never had a need to use a bell while riding in the drops

I had a hairy moment on the way home from work today, but it didn't stop me keeping a commitment to my friend who only just bought her bike to do a twilight lake ride this evening (on very good bike paths, well away from traffic!). She's a great cycling buddy to have, cos we're good at different things - I'm fat, but quite muscular, so kill her on the short sharp hills (and on flat... and on downhill), but she's much better on the long, steady climbs because she's much leaner and lighter. (She's also a great cycling buddy because - no offence intended - but we're not "cyclists". We both get quite annoyed by reckless and inconsiderate cyclists, and we've both had bad experiences with cyclists while pedestrians. We're really just like-minded people who love riding our bikes.)

Anyway, she's a dumb cyclist! (And maybe I am a bit) It was quite funny actually, cos I wasn't hurt.

We were going up a short sharp incline (onto Commonwealth Avenue bridge from the southside for Canberrans). I gave her a head start, and was roaring up behind her. I went to overtake, but by then she was just in that awful noob predicament (which I was suffering myself only a month ago!) of changing gears too late, not having momentum, and just going side to side across the path as she peddled. I thought I'd gotten her "non-speed wobbles" sussed, so went to go around her... and she did the mother of veers to the right... knocked me off my bike... and I rolled all the way to the bottom of the hill. (It's not actually that steep a hill)

As I say, it was pretty funny cos I wasn't hurt, and neither of us damaged our respective pride and joy - but I'll make sure I'm ahead of her for the short sharp inclines in future...

Just a genuine question on the ongoing bell debate. I've never had a road bike, so I dont know the answer to how/where you would position a bell.

However, my argument all along has only been about shared use paths. On roads, I dont think a bell is likely to be that effective because a car can't hear it. So as long as everyone (cyclists) is keeping left unless overtaking (and not doing what so many drivers do and keeping on the right because they think they're the fastest car on the road), I dont actually care whether people carry bells on the road.

So with that context, here's my question.

Could you not just put the bell on the "normal" part of the bars, as opposed to the drops? I ask this because I'm working on the assumption that, if you're on a shared path and being required to use a bell because of pedestrians or slow social riders - is it not fair to assume that this is a moot point, because you shouldnt be going so fast that you're in the drops anyway?

The only issue being that that area is likely being taken up with a GPS or headlight. On an older bike with a quill stem you could put a bell on the stem, on a modern bike i'm not sure how you would go about it.

When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments- Elizabeth West.

On my roady the bell is on the rh back seat stay. Entirely useable except in an emergency. Unlike my voice which works fine in an emergency. But Im a believer in saying politely "passing mate" anyway so it gets not much use.

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